Outer Space Treaty Implications of Orbital Weapons Systems

2754 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The arms race cold war

During the Cold War, an arms race involving the United States and the Soviet Union's drive for conventional and nuclear forces supremacy. This paper will focus on the nuclear arms development primarily focusing on the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) of the Soviet Union, and the measures taken by the United States to mitigate the capabilities of Soviet orbital bombardment by bolstering missile-warning technologies. The primary focus will be on improvements to ground based radar sensors, but the development of space based sensors aided in the decline in utility of orbital bombardment. Additionally, this paper will look at anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) and the contemporary implications on arms control, doctrine, and impacts to nuclear war fighting. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) developed the Fractional Orbital Bombardment Systems (FOBS) to defeat the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) employed by the United States of America (USA) (Gyűrösi, 2010). FOBS were on operational deployment in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, consisting of a system of eighteen missiles until decommissioning occurred under the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II (SALT II) in 1983. These missiles were a derivative of the R-36 heavy ICBM armed with a single five-megaton yield warhead that could achieve an 1100 meter circular error probability (CEP) (Gyűrösi, 2010). BMEWS was comprised of three operational sites containing twelve radars utilizing a combination of AN/FPS-49, AN/FPS-50 and AN/FPS-92 surveillance radars located in Thule, Greenland; Clear, Alaska; and Fylingdales Moor, United Kingdom (Stone & Banner, 2000). The BMEWS allowed the tracking of incoming ICBMs and re-entry vehicles (RV) once the objects had en... ... middle of paper ... ...ites/default/files/Research/China%20Missile%20Launch%20May%20Have%20Tested%20Part%20of%20a%20New%20Anti-Satellite%20Capability_05.22.13.pdf Sellers, J. J. (2005). Understanding Space An Introduction to Astronautics Third Edition. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Stone, M. L., & Banner, G. P. (2000). Radars for the Detection and Tracking of Ballistic Missiles, Satellites, and Planets. Lincoln Laboratory Journal, 12(2). Retrieved 11 23, 2013, from http://www.ll.mit.edu/publications/journal/pdf/vol12_no2/12_2detectsatellitiesplanets.pdf United Nations. (1967). Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Iincluding the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. Retrieved September 21, 2013, from United States of America, Deparment of State Electronic Archive: http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/space1.html

Show More
Related

  • Sputnik's Effects

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ...2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. The "NASA History" Congressional Digest 90.7 (2011): 196-224. Academic Search Premier -. Web.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Sputnik Crisis

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    Following the conclusion of the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union made it a priority to outdo each other in every possible facet from arsenals of missiles to international alliances and spheres of influences. Yet when the Soviets launched Sputnik on October 4th, 1957, the world changed forever. The first manmade object was fired into space, and it appeared that American technology and science had fallen behind. Yet, the public feared that not only were they now technologically inferior to the Soviets, but also deduced that if a satellite could be launched into space, a nuclear missile could just as likely reach the mainland United States. Less than a month later, the Soviets pushed the bounds of technology yet again by

    Read More

  • Space Race: A Reflection of the Cold War Rivalry

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    The cold war by the late 1950s had weaved into the everyday life of society for both countries. The announcement from the US that they will launch a satellite into orbit was challenged by the Soviets. On October 4th 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. This was the world’s first artificial satellite and man-made object to be in earths orbit. The launch was unexpected to the US, having caught them off guard. As a result Sputnik began to raise fears amongst the public, fearing the possible event of a nuclear attack, due to previous cold war

    Read More

  • Nationalism During the Space Race

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Space Race is remarkably similar to that of the arms race because of the parallel between the creation of the atomic bomb and the goal of reaching the moon. The United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively established its place as the technologically superior nation; however, major milestones in space achieved early by the Soviets damaged America’s reputation. In 1957, Soviet scientists shocked the world by successfully launching the Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beyond the Kármán Line (the boundary of space). This amazing breakthrough “rattled American self-confidence”. It cast doubts on America’s vaunted scientific superiority and raised some sobering military questions.”

    Read More

  • The Cold War: A Gamble of the Ages

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1949, the U.S. was shocked when the U.S.S.R. was able to successfully reproduce a nuclear missile, when, the U.S. had been carefully guarding the plans for the missiles. The missiles continued to improve when, in January of 1950 a German theoretical physicist named Klaus...

    Read More

  • COLD War and the Arms Race

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    After the Korean War, it was believed that the United States’ nuclear build-up had played a key role in achieving armistice. At this time, early in President Eisenhower's term in office, he had announced his policy of nuclear superiority. During this time period of nuclear build up, the Soviet Union began to find ways to overcome deficiencies in their strategic technologies2. Not soon after Eisenhower made his policy known, Russia became the first country to successfully test ICBMs, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. These tactical nuclear weapons are land based rocket propelled vehicles capable of intercontinental range in excess of 4000 nautical miles....

    Read More

  • Cold War

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet leader of the time, was nervous about the buildup of nuclear weapons in Western Europe and Turkey by the United States. He felt a build-up of missiles i...

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb Changed the World Forever

    2532 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons has created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces were unleashed again. The technology involved in building the first atomic bombs has grown into the creation of nuclear weapons that are potentially 40 times more powerful than the original bombs used. However, a military change in strategy has come to promote nuclear disarmament and prevent the usage of nuclear weapons. The technology of building the atomic bomb has spurred some useful innovations that can be applied through the use of nuclear power.

    Read More

  • The Lady of Luminosity: Henrietta Swan Leavitt

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dyson, Marianne J. Space and Astronomy: Decade by Decade. New York: Facts on File, 2007. 14+. Print.

    Read More

  • Strategic Defense Initiative Essay

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was originally assumed that the SDI program was a virtually perfect defense against a large intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, attacks, which required very competent weapons. An ICBM has three levels of flight; the boost phase, the midcourse phase, and the terminal phase. With the SDI program, a space-based directed energy, or a laser, weapon would be used to destroy ICBM’s in the boost phase. Ground-based, space-based lasers or continental weapons could be used to destroy ICBM’s in midcourse, and ground-based beam weapons and missile interceptors could be used to destroy ICBM’s in the terminal phase. But as the goals of the program have evolved toward more realistic ambitions, the requirements for highly competent weapons diminished. Therefore, the initial focus on space-based directed energy weapons gradually shifted toward interest in ground-based kinetic energy weapons.

    Read More

  • The Coming Schism By James E. And Alcestis R. Oberg

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.

    Read More

  • Why Should Humans Explore Space?

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    When considering this topic, one might ask themselves why explore space? We explore space to compare other planets with the earth and to study the sun, to explore the universe while finding if intelligent life exists, for satellites to improve communications, weather forecasting, navigation, resource monitoring, and “to create a focal point for a new intellectual renaissance” (Ruzic).

    Read More

  • Iron Curtain Essay

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1945 when America was able to create and use the atomic bomb, the USSR felt insecure and was determined to create one of its own. After that, Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) were built up into huge arsenals by the USSR and America. Both sides soon had the power to wipe out the not only the enemy, but the rest of the world as well. The United States exploded a hydrogen bomb in 1952, and the Soviets tested on year later. Both nations rushed to develop missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

    Read More

  • Why Is Space Exploration Worth The Effort?

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity of our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed. To begin with, space research has helped bring several developments to modern science, affecting the quality of our everyday lives. With issues like climate change, and population overgrowth, our species faces the risks of major extinction (4). Climate change has been a man-made problem in recent years that threatens our planet. It will take huge mitigations from current and future societies to even come close to reversing climate change.

    Read More

  • Space Tourism

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anderson, E., Piven, J. & Tito, D. (2005), The Space Tourist's Handbook: Where to Go, What

    Read More

More about Outer Space Treaty Implications of Orbital Weapons Systems

Open Document